Akin Gump Achieves Pro Bono Legislative Victory for Spirit of America
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(Washington, D.C.) – Akin Gump recently obtained a notable success for Spirit of America (SOA), a nonprofit that provides flexible, private assistance to support the safety and success of deployed American troops and diplomats.
The Akin Gump team helped secure first-of-its-kind legislation formally recognizing the Spirit of America and encouraging the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) to engage with it, at DOD’s discretion, and provide it with logistical support. The legislation will significantly aid SOA’s efforts to provide privately funded economic and humanitarian assistance to save lives and improve national security at no cost to government.
Because DOD regulations were not clear on permissible interactions between military personnel and Spirit of America, military personnel were sometimes prevented from using Spirit of America assistance in support of their missions.
Over the course of a nearly two-year effort, members of Akin Gump’s public law and policy team worked to develop a legislative solution, eventually building significant bipartisan support, as well as the support of dozens of former generals and diplomats. As a result, legislation included in the National Defense Authorization Act will enable the Defense Department to take greater advantage of Spirit of America’s unique assistance in support of U.S. missions abroad. Spirit of America will thus have a greater impact than it could otherwise have.
The Akin Gump team was led by public law and policy counsel Chris Treanor. He was joined by senior policy counsel Francine Friedman, partner Ed Pagano and policy advisor Nicole Leah Cohen.
Founded in 1945, Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP is a leading international law firm with more than 900 lawyers in offices throughout the United States, Europe, Asia and the Middle East.
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